Home Is Where The Heart Is
by Kid Brilliant
Summary: [Completed] [One Shot] [EreMika] Mikasa and Eren met over Facebook and have been talking for years. After a spat and realizing her feelings are more than friendly, Mikasa wants to meet him in person. She contacts the creators of the TV Show "Catfish," and they schedule a meeting for the two. When the raven finally gets to New York, what will the outcome of their face-to-face be?


_Hey, Kiddos! If you're reading this, I'd like you to take a moment and help Ol' Blue here... I have this friend, she goes by the fan-fiction name "Knucklehead7." Knuckle has this wonderful friend that they're dying to meet again and the girl's first name is Annie, she also has a FFN account but had it deleted. If you know her, please PM me or Knucklehead7! It's greatly appreciated! You'll know when and if we find her. Thanks so much!_

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Mikasa checked over her email once more and clicked send. Closing her eyes, she listened and waited for the infamous swoosh noise to sound. As it did, she opened her charcoal-grey eyes and saw that it had sent. She nodded in confirmation at her computer and got up, adjusting her denim jacket. Regardless of her preference to stay anonymous and out of the public eye, Mikasa had sent a letter to the people she think would help her most. But, let's start from the beginning, huh?

For four years, Mikasa Ackerman had been in love. At first, she didn't want to believe it. It seemed stupid. Love? Oh please. Why not just stick her in a romance novel with Fabio, if she was going to be this cheesy. It was a touchy subject for her, honestly. Why would she even want that, after everything she'd been through? Mama and Daddy were the only people she wanted to love, and she was so convinced of that until 2011, when both of their lives were claimed in a plane crash. It was heart-wrenching, but Mikasa refused to seem weak, even to her best friends. She soldiered through it all, with a stone-cold look and impassive stares. Armin, her little blonde bestie, knew that it wasn't healthy. He tried to convince her, along with his long-term girlfriend Annie (also one of Mikasa's best friends), that it was okay to cry and be upset. But Mikasa always responded with "I'm fine." Despite her stoic facade, someone finally noticed- and it wasn't either of her friends or family members.

Scrolling through Facebook was something the black-haired woman almost never did. It was neither productive nor entertaining, aside from the occasional video her cousin, Levi, posted. On a rainy, Tuesday afternoon in April, just three months after Daddy and Mama died, she was doing that exact thing. A soft smile passed her lips as she liked a picture Levi had posted of his cat when she received a message from someone she didn't know. She eyes the notification warily, never one to just talk to people. Clicking on the message button, she read the message preview.

"This mite be creepy but y..."

She raised an eyebrow. _Who the hell?_ She looked at the name of this weirdo and her interest piqued slightly.

 _Eren Jaeger_

She clicked on his message and continued reading.

"This mite be creepy but youre super hot."

She clicked her tongue and turned to delete the message when he started typing again. Normally, she wouldn't have cared about it but something about this guy seemed different.

"That sounded a lot less creepy in my head Im so sorry lol. xD"

Mikasa rolled her eyes, but a gentle smile was present on her face. This guy seems like a dweeb. The raven decided it wouldn't hurt to respond to him, but that would be it.

"Yes. That was creepy." She responded.

Four years later, Eren Jaeger had weaseled his way into her life like a parasite, he was anything but. Almost every day since then, they'd talked to each other over Facebook. At first, Mikasa was just humouring him but, as time passed, she found many qualities that she liked in this chocolate-haired man. From his corny jokes to his bluntness, he was charming. His awkwardness was endearing, but what really stood out to her was his fierceness. He never gave up, and he was always ready to tell it like it was. This is the trait that Mikasa found the best, other than his turquoise eyes. He gave her insight, and never sugar-coated anything for her. He didn't treat her like a delicate China doll, like many other men had. As time passed, they exchanged different social media account names, and not once did Eren ask her for nude pictures, on a date, or anything else that Mikasa had deemed "unnecessary." This made her desire for his friendship grow. He knew from the start that she had a past, because Eren (apparently) knew a "normal" person from people like him. That got her curious as well.

It was a warm, sunny day in August of 2013 when Mikasa found out Eren's entire story. It turns out that he lost his mother at a young age, and with her, went his father not six months later. He was twelve at the time, and was sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle in New York. He currently resided there as well, just two blocks away from them. He told Mikasa that, for a long time, he felt lonely. Even though his Uncle and Aunt loved him dearly, they never were the type to show a lot of affection, unlike his parents. He never got too close to anyone and just went throughout six years of his life "being lifeless and... uncaring." He didn't care about school, friendships, or relationships. At first, this sounded vaguely familiar to Mikasa. She then realized he had basically summed up the past two years of her own life. She had thought Eren and her were worlds apart, but now she could see that there was more to Eren Jaeger that met the eye. After confessing to her, Eren told her that he didn't want pity. He had told her that because she was his friend, and that he wanted her to know more about him that just a goofy gamer-nerd with dumb jokes and thick eyebrows.

A couple days later, Eren asked for Mikasa's number. She was apprehensive at first, but eventually, she typed it out for him. He called her the next day, and she could say she was a bit dumbfounded. His voice was a lot deeper than she pictured. She felt a blush form on her face at the sound of it. As if knowing what she thought, he chuckled and complimented her on her own voice. They talked for roughly four hours that night, and every day since then.

It didn't take Mikasa long to figure out something was a little up with this situation. She felt herself becoming so attached to this guy, and it was always strange when they didn't talk. She didn't understand these feelings she felt. She didn't get why she got butterflies when he called her, or the little smile she got when he said her name. Mikasa soon realized that she was falling in love with Eren Jaeger. This caused her to have a slight breakdown. What the fuck?! She didn't want to fall in love; she was terrified of what could happen. She didn't want to be hurt. So, she cut off all contact. She didn't talk to Eren for almost two months, ignoring his calls and messages. She didn't even get on Facebook; she didn't want to give him false hope that she might message him.

Eventually, the calls and messages stopped. She'd go a week at time without hearing from Eren. She didn't understand why she felt so unwanted and guilty. Mikasa had never actually felt this way. She went days without talking to Armin or Annie, and weeks without Levi or Sasha. Why did it feel like she had made a terrible mistake? At that moment, she picked up the phone and dialed Eren's number; she knew it by heart.

"Hello?" He answered groggily, as if he were asleep. He most likely had been. Mikasa didn't notice it was three a.m. She was overcome with relief, a soft smile was present on her lips. How long had it been without hearing his voice?

"Eren..." She said quietly into the receiver. He instantly demanded why she contacted him and she had no idea how to respond. She thought the only way she could get through to him was to tell him about everything that had happened, and hope he could read between the lines.

An hour and a half later, Eren knew everything about Mikasa. She didn't even know she was crying until Eren had whispered sweet nothings to her, trying to calm her. She instantly schooled her expression and took a deep breath, awaiting his reaction.

"Mikasa... Are you telling me you cut me off 'cause you're scared I'm getting too close to you?"

She silently cheered, happy he understood. She didn't say anything, however. She was also a bit cautious of replying. She didn't want to-

"Mikasa, I really like you."

She remained quiet, stunned by his confession. She felt waves of emotion crash into her, ranging from confusion and anger, to sadness and joy. She had no idea what to say, what to do, how to feel. Why is he doing this? She shook her head to clear it of her thoughts.

"I have to go, Eren." She hung up and promptly cut him off. Again. She sat there, back against her bedroom door as she brought her knees up to her chin. She buried her head in her Free! pajama bottoms (penguins, with Nagisa's face on them) and cried. She finally had let herself go. She let herself break, to Eren of all people. Not to her best friends, not to her parents' graves, not to God, not to herself either. To Eren fucking Jaeger. The bright-eyed dumb fuck with brown hair and an infectious smile had been that saving grace she didn't think she needed. That night, Mikasa fell asleep by her door, clutching her cell phone with a picture of Eren on the screen.

That's what led her to e-mail Nev and Max, the creators of Catfish: The TV Show. She knew that she had to meet him in person, she knew that he wouldn't even pick up the phone after the shit she had pulled. She didn't wanna lose the one person that made her realize that life wasn't about saving face and remaining strong. To quote Eren, "Life is about ups and downs, smiles and frowns, good music and good food, spending time with cool people, and doing your best. And somewhere alone the way, we fall in love or some shit, y'know?" She smiled, recalling the night she asked him what the meaning of life was. Like he said, life is about the pursuit of happiness. For Eren, that was "good food, good music, nice friends, and falling in love." For Mikasa, it was the pursuit of Eren. So, she contacted them and waited for an answer.

A week after pressing send, an unknown number called her. A part of her hoped it was Eren, but she knew that number sequence wasn't his. She answered with a dry "Hello?" And she was mentally screaming when she heard Nev's voice asking for "Me-Case-uh?"

"It's _Mikasa_. Like Spanish for 'home'."

That single phone changed her life.

Nev and Max admitted that they hadn't done an episode like this, where the "victim" knew that the "offender" was legitimate and just wanted to meet them in person to reconcile. But they told her that they would help nonetheless, touched by how much Mikasa cared. She remembered fondly when Max asked her how she realized she was in love with Eren. She blushed and told them it was her business. They laughed and agreed to help her. Without further ado, they contacted Eren.

"Hello?" He said. Nev had him on speaker, and the reception wasn't too good. It was full of static, but Mikasa recognized that voice and smiled. Max caught this and gave her a knowing smile. She scowled.

"Hi, this is Nev and Max from Catfish: The TV Show. Is this Eren Jaeger?"

"Oh! I love your show! Hey! Yeah, I'm Eren Jaeg- Wait, why am I on Catfish?" He sounded confused, and Mikasa let another smile grace her features.

"We're here with Mikasa Ackerman. She says she and you got in a bit of a spat, and we wanna know if you'll come and meet us."

Eren took an uneasy breath over the line, letting it out quietly.

"I... Yeah, she and I did. I-I... Uh, I guess I'll meet you guys."

"Anywhere specific?"

"My apartment, I guess." Mikasa could hear the nervousness in his voice. He sounded a little wary of meeting her, and she understood why, but she was too excited to finally meet him in person.

"Good! Okay, cool. Text us the address, and we'll see you in two days. Sound good?" Nev asked.

"Y-Yeah. Sounds good." He hung up first, and Mikasa could imagine that he let out a shaky breath. She fist-pumped the air, internally, and fixed her hair. Standing up, she thanked Nev and Max.

"It's no problem. We'll meet you at the Colorado Plains Regional Airport, tomorrow at two p.m. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. Thank you." She shook their hands and got in her car, sighing with relief.

It's happening. It's finally happening. Her smile widened fractionally as she revved up her black Honda Civic and went home, listening to a song Eren had sent to her.

The next day, Mikasa got a call from Max, telling her that the time had been moved up due to Eren's request. She thanked him and got dressed, throwing on a white button-up, a tanned leather half-jacket, and white skinny jeans along with her dark brown boots and matching belt. Pulling on red gloves and a red ski-cap, she put on a bit of eye-liner and got in her car. Heading towards the airport . As she drove, she smiled as the DJ talked about meeting someone for the first time and instantly falling in love.

"To go with out discussion of first meetings and lovey-stuff, 'Bright Eyed Guy' has decided to dedicate a song to his soon-to-be girlfriend, his Home. Here's "Georgia," by Vance Joy." Softly strummed guitars reached Mikasa's ears as she went to change the song, making her pause.

 ** _She is something to behold, elegant and bold.  
She is electricity, running through my soul._**

Mikasa smiled at how cute the lyrics were and turned up the radio.

 ** _And I could easily lose my mind, the way you kiss me will work each time.  
Calling me to come back to back to bed, singing "Georgia On My Mind."  
And I... And I..._**

The raven-haired woman couldn't help but think of Eren as the song played. Even though they never exactly were romantic with each other, she knew that they had a special relationship. From his ever present immature humour to his one in a blue moon deep answers, he was special. He was different. And Mikasa loved things different.

 ** _Lips, generous and warm. You build me up like steps.  
Eyes, innocent and wide remind me what it's like...  
And I could easily lose my mind, the way you kiss me will work each time.  
Pulling me back into the flames, and I'm burning up again.  
I'm burning up._**

As Mikasa listened, something dawned on her. Eren had bright eyes. And Bright Eyed Guy was his Kik name. She tried recalling the last part of what the DJ said, but found herself at a loss. It couldn't be Eren dedicating a song to her. That was absurd.

 ** _And I, I never understood what was at stake.  
I never thought your love was worth its wait.  
Now you've come and gone,  
I've finally worked it out.  
I worked it out._**

Mikasa felt the lyrics hit home a little too hard. Hit _home_ a little to hard. How could she not see it!? This is Eren! His "soon-to-be girlfriend, his home!" Mi casa means home, damnit! Mikasa's grey eyes shined with happiness. _Eren, you little shit,_ she thought.

 ** _I never should of told you.  
I never should've let you see in side.  
Don't want it troubling your mind.  
Won't you let it be?_**

She shook her head, remembering everything that had happened between her and this guy. It didn't help that the song repeated that verse three more times. She pulled onto the final road before she would enter the airport. The song was nearing its end when she saw a plane taking off. When she pulled in, she saw Armin standing by one of the gates.

"Good luck, Mika." He said gently, giving her a motherly smile.

"Thank you. Be careful leaving." She replied, giving him her car keys. He took them and saluted her, grinning as he did so. She saluted back and spotted Nev and Max. Here goes. Making her way over, they smiled and asked her if she was ready. She only nodded as they boarded the plane. Fear churned in her stomach, along with apprehension, excitement, and happiness. She chose to sit by one of the crew girls, who looked suspiciously like Sasha.

After three hours, she was beginning to get annoyed with this girl. Her name was Hanji, and she apparently knew Levi. Mikasa didn't understand how her stoic and eternally grumpy cousin could deal with this shit. She was all over the place, smiling and laughing and spouting random nonsense. Mikasa had half a mind to strangle her before the pilot announced that we only had two hours left. Mikasa sighed with solace. Thank God. Hanji had dozed off for a while, while Mikasa checked her phone. She had three messages from Armin, two from Annie, eleven from Sasha, and one from Levi. She rolled her eyes.

Sasha was complaining about needing food. Armin was being too concerned. Annie sent a picture of Armin fussing and told Mikasa to be safe. Levi told her that he needs to meet this brat and to be careful.

Two hours later, they arrived in New York. Mikasa's breath caught in her throat. It was absolutely gorgeous. The lights from the city buildings shimmered against the dark, night sky. Everything was so big and different than her small hometown in Colorado. Nev and Max grinned at her, knowing the feeling of awe when arriving in New York for the first time. They gathered their bags and left the airport, finding a nearby motel to stay at.

Mikasa had checked into her own room, but followed Nev and Max to theirs to they could discuss some things.

"Are you excited, Mikasa?" Nev asked her, throwing her a bottle of water from their mini-fridge. She caught it and nodded, smiling slightly.

"What about Eren? You think he is?" Max asked Nev, looking around at the suite. Nev's mouth strung to the side as he thought.

He seems... Nervous. But I bet that'll be gone when he sees Mikasa." He laughed and Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"Wanna contact him?" Max asked the raven-haired beauty. She considered this and agreed, watching as Nev broke out his phone and gave Eren a ring.

"Hey, Eren." Nev put the green-eyed boy on speaker.

"Hey, Nev, Max. Hi M-Mikasa," He added nervously. Mikasa's heart started swelling.

"We're in New York! Did you wanna meet somewhere else tomorrow, or are you still okay with your apartment?"

"My apartment. You still have the address?" Max checked his phone and nodded at Nev.

"I do. So we'll meet you there. How does eleven a.m. sound?"

"That'll be nice. Thanks, and goodnight you guys." With that, he hung up. Mikasa got that weird feeling in her stomach again. _What if Eren stands them up? What if he doesn't wanna meet me?_ Nev's voice stopped her from worrying too much.

"Let's get to bed."

Mikasa nodded and went to her room. That night, she tossed and turned with worry and excitement. In just fourteen hours, she'd get to meet Eren. She was a tad bit scared. She wanted him to understand what had happened, but he could be really dense sometimes. She sighed. Those are one of the characteristics she really loved. She had no idea, eleven blocks away, Eren was having the same problems. Just after one a.m., Mikasa fell asleep. She was plagued by dreams of tan skin and bright, glowing green eyes.

~~The ride to Eren's apartment almost killed Mikasa. Anxiousness and terror filled her body to the core. It was like being stuck singing the national anthem for millions of people at the Super Bowl, in your underwear and with no talent. It was suffocating, to say the least. She thanked whatever god was listening when they finally parked and got out.

"Ready?" Max asked Nev and Mikasa, giving them a grin. They both nodded and followed Max into the lobby. The pressed the buzzer, and Nev said, "Hey, Eren. It's us. Care to let Mikasa, Max, and I in?" Mikasa heard Eren's hasty reply, and her stomach dropped. What was going to happen when they met each other? She ground her teeth as they rode the elevator up to B4. This was a huge point in her life. What if everything turned to shit?

Upon reaching their destination, Mikasa schooled her expression to her usual impassive mask. Nev knocked on the door, and Mikasa waited for the world to explode. However, her waiting was for naught. No one died, nothing blew up, no bombs were dropped, Tupac didn't come back. The only thing that happened was Eren opening his door. It was truly a sight to behold.

"Hey, guys." He gave Nev and Max a smile, but it turned into an all out grin when he saw Mikasa.

"Mikasa..." He said softly, with a strange look on his face that Mikasa couldn't decipher.

The brunette led all three of them into his, albeit messy, really stylish apartment. Eren hadn't been kidding when he said he loves his apartment almost as much as music, which was evident by the band posters and CD's everywhere. He went into the kitchen and made drinks for everyone; Nev got juice, Max asked for a coke, and Mikasa settled for water. She didn't think she could stomach much else, but you could never tell.

"Mikasa? Eren? Do you wanna... Y'know...?" Max asked, a little shyly. He gave both parties a thumbs up and waited. Eren took a deep breath and stood up, extending his hand towards Mikasa. She reluctantly took it, and was surprised when she was enveloped in a spine-crushing hug. However, she hugged back with just as ferociously. She felt buried, but it wasn't a bad feeling. He smelled like cherries and the ocean, a sweet combination that filled both her lungs and her heart. She clung to his neck, cradling his head as a few stray tears fell down her pale face. Eren wasn't much better; He had his arms around her waist, bunching up the back of her white button-up in his fists and his body rocked with silent sobs. He whispered, over and over again, "Mikasa," like a prayer.

After what felt like an eternity of finally getting to hold him, he yanked backwards and grabbed her shoulders, giving her a pointed look. Mikasa stood there, a bit stunned but you couldn't tell.

"Never _ever_ , cut me off again. These-These last few months, _fuck_. Mikasa, don't do that again. You-You, just... Just have _no idea_. Promi-"

"I promise."

"I'm so sorry. I-I should've just... I should've been better. Don't worry about anything, just, just keep holding me. Lemme keep holding you. Oh, God, Mikasa." He was crying now, bawling like a kid as he shook. Mikasa looked back at Max and Nev, and even they had tears in their eyes.

"Don't let us stop you!" Nev said, forcing a laugh as they stood up and crept out of the apartment door. Mikasa noticed that Eren had watched them leave, but his intense gaze met hers again soon after. He whispered her name again, but it sounded different. It was tender, soft and adoring, like that was the only word he knew. His beautiful eyes left hers, and darted towards her lips and then back up.

 _A silent question_ , she thought. She gave him a smile. An incredibly large, stunning smile that he took as a yes.

He crashed his slightly chapped, but warm lips into hers, pouring every bit of emotion he could muster into it. And of course, Mikasa gave back just as much as he did. It was a little messy, but it was absolutely everything they had imagined it to be. Mikasa felt her heart burst when she finally noticed the wet spots of tears on his tan cheeks. She pulled away (reluctantly) and wiped his cheeks with her thumb, smiling at him. He returned his own smile, and placed a head delicately in her hair.

"Mikasa Ackerman?"

"Mhm?" She responded, already knowing what he was going to say. She could tell by the kind look in his eyes.

"Will you be mi casa?" He asked with a dumb grin. The raven laughed and swatted playfully at his arm, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, you dweeb. I will."


End file.
